Digitech Hardwire Valve Distortion

[jimmyohio75]

Anyone have experience with this? I used to own a Marshall Guv'nor that I loved. Will the Digitech get me close?

[semi-hollowbody]

I like my hardwire distortion better than my guvnor 2...
the hardwire is on my board, the guvnor is not

[jlagrassa]

I've got one its a great sounding pedal, I only played a Govnor 2 and it blows that away Definitely worth trying!

[Rod]

I have their Valve Overdrive and it's killer as well...sort of a higher gain version of the Bad Monkey.//...It sounds great

[jimmyohio75]

Originally Posted by Rod

I have their Valve Overdrive and it's killer as well...sort of a higher gain version of the Bad Monkey.//...It sounds great

How does it compare to a TS-9?

[ChurchChong]

Interesting thing about this pedal. I first bought the Tube Overdrive, the CM-2 and later bought this, the SC-2. They sounded so close to each other that I kept the CM-2 on the board because I liked it's smoothness better and seems to like my vox and fender amps a lot. I'm not into metal but I've heard that the Hardwire metal pedal TL-2 can cover a lot of ground.

[Demioblue]

I got one... I used to use it heavily... Then I stupidly went to compare it side by side against my crunchbox, and I realised I prefered the crunchbox sound. The contrast was a bit subtle, but audible. The valve distortion was smoother and a bit more transparent than the crunchbox. It's not more headroom, considering it operates internally at 18v. But in a band mix, the crunchbox seems to have a bigger sound.

Originally Posted by jimmyohio75

How does it compare to a TS-9?

Much more versatile. The CM2 can do the TS9 and more! I A/Bed it against my stock TS9, and I could get exactly the same sounds on the CM2. And then there's that "modified" switch on the CM2. It adds more gain and more presence, so it's like 2 different ODs in one.

Originally Posted by ChurchChong

I'm not into metal but I've heard that the Hardwire metal pedal TL-2 can cover a lot of ground.

Yes it can... So much ground that I don't know what to do with it effectively... Maybe that's because I don't really play much Metal after all too?

[Gtowngearhead]

I like the SC-2 a lot. The Crunch side does a good job of getting some light(I call it light) grit, and does a superb job of pumping up the OD channel in my HRDv. The saturated side is a little heavier, but in a different way? Like you can definitely get the high gain feedback and everything, but I could never get the EQ just right to get that like heavy rock rhythm feel. So I just made a BSIAB2 circuit. But the SC-2 is a ridiculously versatile pedal for $100 new. And it's built like a tank, definitely equal to and maybe even more sturdy than a Boss pedal.

[semi-hollowbody]

I have the tube overdrive as well, and the overdrive does cover the same ground (as far as gain goes) as the valve distortion, they are to my ears completely different...
the overdrive is more of a nasal mid-rangy TS clone...with a LOT of gain range thanks to the toggle switch...the valve distortion is more of a cranked marshall crunchbox pedal...the distortion is NOT nasally or mid rangy at all, actually its a bit bright...

I HATED the bad monkey, but I like the overdrive...I think the bass and treble controls make the nasally od easiert to dial in than the bad monkeys ONE tone control...

[forum_crawler]

I have the CM-2 and it is a great pedal for driving the front of my amp a little harder. Very smooth overdrive with just a bit of mid hump, so perfect for managing the darker feel of my amp's distortion.

[daddyo]

Originally Posted by semi-hollowbody

I have the tube overdrive as well, and the overdrive does cover the same ground (as far as gain goes) as the valve distortion, they are to my ears completely different...
the overdrive is more of a nasal mid-rangy TS clone...with a LOT of gain range thanks to the toggle switch...the valve distortion is more of a cranked marshall crunchbox pedal...the distortion is NOT nasally or mid rangy at all, actually its a bit bright...

I HATED the bad monkey, but I like the overdrive...I think the bass and treble controls make the nasally od easiert to dial in than the bad monkeys ONE tone control...

What Monkey did you have? The Bad Monkey has a bass and treble control.

[Rod]

Originally Posted by jimmyohio75

How does it compare to a TS-9?

I like the Hardwire far more than any TS-9 pedal.[I play only humbucker guitars, and TS-9's don't get along with them]..you have full control of bass and treble, there's a vintage/modern switch for 2 sounds....it just feels great...and I own a bunch of boutique pedals as well...

[6Tones]

I Like the SC-2..but not in love with it totally yet .

Its a goodsounding pedal,but it does sound slightly 'digital' to me,maybe its because its not as warm as some of the analog style ODs/Dist Ive played.

Some notes.. (played through a rebel30,fender vibrolux,single n hum tones)

Compared to a MXR DistIII the Mxr is somewhat rounder ,warmer and more 'natural' sounding ..the SC-2 has more of a highfi sound and the SC-2 has Alot of gain on tap.
The saturated setting is great for satch,80smetal,progrock tones.

The SC-2 does a very good job at making any non highgain amp sound like a hotrodded marshall
The output of this pedal is VERY high,so far I havent ran the level past 9'oclock
The highs can be a bit shrill ,I tend to keep the highs at noon and the bass around 3oclock.
I wish it had mid eq control!

Anyone else hear this too?

[jlagrassa]

Here is a tiny sample of the SC-2 with the crunch mode at max, the amp is a Hot Rod Deluxe with JJ tubes. I stuck a Zoom H2 off to the side a bit near my amp to record this it starts of with the clean tone of the amp then the pedal!,,,,, Guitar is a Les Paul Classic with Dimarzio 36th Anniversary PAF pickups!

SC-2 Crunch

[Gtowngearhead]

Nice clip.